When to use explosive techniques imo..

Explosive techniques are mostly specific to the muscle groups being trained that day. Example: A1) Jump squat A2) Back Squat. I use these exercises primarily for motor unit recruitment. Motor units are responsible for activating different muscle fiber types. Although difficult at times, I assume these warm ups to be less taxing and actually help prepare for a more difficult lift. What concerns me however, is how easily they could be over used. A body weight jump squat although much less in tonnage compared to your squat, is equally exhausting to our energy substrates (things we burn during training) like CP, ATP and glycogen. Not to mention it jacks your heart rate up! So with energy supplies having a distinct time frame before being fully depleted, we have to decide how many is to many. We wouldn't want to take away from our meat and potato exercises to often in place of less measurable choices.

So I use them once within an athletic template usually at the beginning of a session due to high energy levels. But will use more often in a hypertrophy program to accommodate people's love of them pumps. I like supersets in this case. Example: A1) DB Flat Bench A2) Band Press burnout.

Olympic lifts are also explosive lifts, but due to the high coordination level of theses exercises, I would do them with supervision of a professional. I was writing making reference mostly to plyometrics type training. If you never use explosive lifts in your training, I would reconsider. If not for any particular reason, just for the change from the norm .

Keep it real

The path of least resistence

My definition is basically taking any task, duty or responsibility and finding the easiest way to complete the job. Sometimes being efficient could take less time. So how do we determine whom is on the path of least resistance? Now there are times when this path is ideal or can be justified, like mowing the lawn. But what about if your a teacher, a father, a coach? How can we tell the difference between a person who is just "doing their job" to a person who does a job passionately?

The last few years of my life with both jobs and relationships have been my most trying. I justifiably could have cried "poor me" and used what some feel are legitimate reasons, to waller (as they say in the south) in self pity.

I received a text message from a friend today and it said,..

"My wife just sent me a cool email. It said she takes things for granted and stresses the little things too much. She said that seeing you go through tough times and being as caring and loving and unselfish as ever makes her see what a great person you are and that she isn't".

With an email like this, I believe in people and my work more now than ever. I am convinced that working with passion regardless of your trade, does rub off on people. At the end of the day people are what it's all about. Everything else is meaningless.

The path of least resistance may be convenient at times, but if we hold ourselves to a higher standard, our time in this world may truly be blessed.